apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I know it sounds silly, and thinking rationally, it probably makes sense, but.....ewwwww.

I think my husband summed it up nicely when he remarked, "That's a revolting lazy bachelor technique."

This practice seems pretty disgusting.

I'm picturing this as an interim solution between legitimate scrubbings, which would make me feel horribly type-A, like the kind of people who color-code their childrens' towels. But I'm pretty much a slob and this would probably be an improvement over our existing bathroom routines.

Ew.

Why all the hating? Spit and mouthwash is pretty much the least revolting thing that goes into a toilet, what's the problem?

Probably the scrubbing spit all over the toilet. It's almost like licking it clean!

Yeah, I don't know chemistry. I'd say the alcohol might be ok. I know the scope or crest always stains my tongue. Once this minty substance has in it saliva germs, and whatever gunk died in your mouth just before, is it antiseptic enough to clean the toilet or is it just an appearance/scent thing?

I hate to break it to you, but the alcohol in an ounce or so of mouthwash isn't going to have any germicidal effect at all when diluted in the amount of water in the toilet bowl.

And the picture is grossing me out, too. He needs to do more than swish a little mouthwash in that toilet. And does the person in the bed beyond get to watch everything that happens in that bathroom?

I'm going to keep spitting in the sink and cleaning the sink pipe.

Jeez people. How often are you cleaning your toilets?

And if spitting in the toilet is like licking it, then what is typically done in a toilet is like what? A porcelain colonoscopy?

Assuming you're not trying to spit under the rim, I have no problem with this idea.

And, if you don't flush, you're saving some water by not having to rinse out the sink, instead.

I'm sorry but this just sounds extremely disturbing. I mean, to poo and rinse your mouth at the same time. yikes.

Well, what does everyone else do while sitting on the toilet?

Oh, sure, like nobody else knits holiday gift sweaters while sitting there.

Mouthwash contains fluoride (I hope).

Fluoride attacks porcelain (and glass). Hence the warnings about not letting blobs of toothpaste sitting in the sink.

I'd rather not risk getting an etched bowl that will be harder to clean with the years.

Some mouthwashes also contain bactericides. These will be too diluted in the bowl to have any effect (and it is a hopless endeavor to try and sterilize the bowl anyway). The bactericides could, however, lead to selecting a resistant strain.

If flushed immediately there will be no harm for sure. But as a cleaning technique, it makes no sense.

Why use the toilet brush? Use the toothbrush to clean the toilet. Nothing like getting to use something twice for different tasks.

as it's June, unfortunately this isn't an April's Fool's joke...I REALLY wasn't expecting to see this kind of post on AT...but had a good laugh anyways...

I think for this idea to catch on it would require a different picture. (What is that anyway? 2nd life?)

Also, if I were to read something like "If you just bought 6 gallons of mouth wash on impulse at Costco and now don't know what to do with so much, try using it to clean your toilet" I could be receptive to that.

It doesn't seem enough like enough to actually get anything clean and things only go from my mouth to the toilet when I'm ill, so it's just not a good association for me.

I was thinking of replacing my mouthwash in the morning with a hit of vodka, speaking of using something twice for different tasks. I think I need to meet this guy.

Or do they make sugar free peppermint schnapps?

First, I don't keep my toilet brush in the room - ew.
Second, I'm not sure I COULD rinse and use the loo at the same time - call me uncoordinated.
Third, I don't clean my toilet as part of my morning routine.
You get two points for creative time saving but this just sounds a little gross.

Joss:
That is an image from "The Sims 2" game.

And this will not only give you an idea of what the game is about, but should have even TS2 old-timers cackling and spewing for the entire read...
http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3134465

Having just gotten over a bout of stomach flu...no thanks.

For the few people who find no problem with this; when you spit into a bowl of water there is going to be some sort of splash and seeing as its a toilet... you tell me what will splash in your face!

a. with the help of gravity, I'm pretty sure I could spit from a safe distance (height)

b. since I don't spit in liters, I don't think the "impact" is going to displace that much water.

OK, I wouldn't do this either, but what I've really learned is AT readers are a bit too germophobic.

in addition to being grossed out in general, I have a logistical problem with this suggestion. My flat has a split bathroom (toilet in one little room, sink and tub in another) so it would be a nightmare running between the rooms to spit out the mouthwash. I'll stick with my lil bowl blu, thanks.

It's not that I wouldn't do this. I just wouldn't blog about it... so kudos for irreverence!

If the alcohol were at 70% when you put it in the bowl, this might work. It isn't, so it won't.

I love how this site alternates between germ phobia and chemical phobia. It baffles me endlessly.

Yup, I was thinking the potential splash out too...

Someone told me you should only flush your toilet with the cover down - all that water swishing around actually releases more microbial action into the air, and onto your, EURRGH, toothbrush. Yak.

sciencegeek, i have chem phobia with lots of harmful chems, and I'm not particularly germ-phobic (I kiss my dog on the mouth right after she eats - she eats raw - and she sleeps on my bed sometimes with her @$$ sitting up near my face). That said, the idea of backsplash from poopy water onto my lips does make me somewhat grey-faced and nauseous.

Don't forget the splash... disgusting.

Pretty brilliant double usage in my opinion!

Absolutely the most silliest tip I've read thus far. No thanks, I'll stick to the sink here too.

I've read at least a five or six studies saying that your bathroom is the least of your bacteriological concerns. Here's one from yesterday:
http://www.ajc.com/health/content/health/stories/2008/06/25/report_dirty_kitchen_bathroom.html

The correlation between minimalism, modernism, and body shame is really pretty pathetic. Forgive your body and forgive your space.

Had to add this quote from the study lead:

"You could eat your dinner in a U.S. toilet but there is a lack of appreciation that kitchen sinks can be contaminated with fecal organisms, either coming in with fruit and vegetables or from pets and children," he said."

So there's urine, spit, water, and mouthwash in there right? And that cleans the toilet?

well urine does have ammonia in it. Or something.

This is the most prissy, squeamish group of comments I've seen in an awfully long time. Are you all really that uncomfortable with your bodies and their various functions? So sad for you!

And surely the daily toilet once-over is helping keep the toilet clean, even if the minimal alcohol isn't doing much disinfecting.

mdtown531: The instructions call for you to flush first after using the toilet, then spitting out the mouthwash to use to rinse the toilet. I'm not grossed out by my own minuscule amount of saliva that comes out after swishing, but I guess a lot of people are grossed out or even offended by the idea of reusing something as fairly benign as mouthwash.

I guess they have to be cheap with cleaning supplies because the are probably using a luxury brand of mouthwash.

Here is the real klinker.......alcohol based mouthwash is bad for your gums and teeth.

Hey kids, wake up and smell something other than the toilet!

I will amend my "Ew" comment after reading Gregory's clarification that there is a flush between the tinkle and the mouthwash spit. I also thought you were scrubing the pot with urine and mouthwash.

Actually, the concentration of alcohol in the entire toilet bowl would have to be 70%...so maybe a couple liters of booze?
Alcohol is a pretty great disinfectant (ethyl alcohol is technically natural, and doesn't select for resistance when used on bacteria), you just need a lot of it to get the job done.

First off, can I just say that I really hate it when people who aren't English/British use the word "loo"? It makes you look like a poser.

For the few people who find no problem with this; when you spit into a bowl of water there is going to be some sort of splash and seeing as its a toilet... you tell me what will splash in your face!

Mouthwash and spit would splash back. When one liquid is being poured into another, the pouring liquid is what's bouncing back thanks to surface tension. One of the primary safety rules in a chemistry lab is to never pour a caustic liquid into another liquid. The caustic liquid will splash back and burn you.

@summerinbrooklyn:

Yep -- I get sloppy doggie kisses too, and anybody who does THAT can't get too grossed out by what might lurk in the toilet bowl (of course, I also take care to gargle with listerine).

Plus, poochie gets bathed in the kitchen sink (he's a chihuahua) several times a week (he's old, it helps his arthritis and various other problems dealing with old age and doggy incontinence). There's no helping it. I just keep washing the kitchen sink down with hot water and spray with Lysol afterwards. So far nobody in the house has caught any diseases from it. Next to THAT I can't get too grossed out by what lurks in the toilet bowl either.

If you live with a child or a pet -- dog or cat -- you just can't get freaked out by germs. They are everywhere regardless. And we've survived for millenia despite them.

I'm shocked by the negative comments. I thought it was genius.
I'm doing it tomorrow morning.

TaniaTingel,

Pointing out that mouthwash has no disinfectant properties at the concentration it would assume upon being spat into the toilet bowl is not particularly negative, just logical.

Shocked?

Pretty much any post that touches on toilets seems to excite strong responses.

Not worth the effort for me. I do empty left over, half full cans of coke in my toilet. Leave it in for a few minutes and flush. nice and clean.

Now that coke thing is true. When my husband was in Kenya training with their military, he and other American military personnel were surprised to see the Kenyans carrying around liters of Coke: and even more surprised to discover they use it for cleaning engines.

I think the guy in the picture needs to do a lot more than swish a little used mouthwash around the toilet. That toilet is really disgusting!

So this is more of a time management tip than a cleaner toilet in a green green world tip. Don't just sit there, SWISH! Sit, swish, flush, spit, brush. Oh, ok. I think there is a sound idea in this, but you could be swishing a while and then what'll you do about spitting? It is a comedy of errors. I think the recommendation to brush out the toilet when you are all done is placebo. Rushing right home to try this reminds me of the Seinfeld meme where people had started using a knife and fork to eat candy bars because they'd seen someone else doing it.